The present invention relates to thermostats having the capability of tracking, recording, and reporting setback information to a remotely located entity.
Thermostats have heretofore received and implemented setbacks of locally entered setpoints in response to receiving setback information from a remotely located source such as an energy provider. Examples of such thermostats are disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,110 entitled xe2x80x9cSetback Reporting Thermostatxe2x80x9d and commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,611 entitled xe2x80x9cSetback Tracking Thermostatxe2x80x9d. The aforementioned thermostats include the ability within the thermostats to maintain an accurate record of the amount of time that the thermostat participates in one or more setbacks of locally entered setpoints. This record is transmitted to an energy provider upon request.
The above described thermostats do not however necessarily provide the energy provider with a complete record as to what has occurred during the one or more setbacks implemented by these thermostats. In this regard, these thermostats only provide the amount of time spent in the one or more setbacks of locally entered setpoints. This reported information does not include a record of the actual temperature conditions occurring during the one or more setbacks implemented by these thermostats.
A thermostat is operative to note the current temperature at time of entering into a setback of one or more previously established setpoints. The thermostat is also operative to note any newly defined setpoints. The thermostat also preferably notes whether a setback is to occur in a heating or cooling mode of operation. The thermostat maintains a record of the aforementioned entry conditions as well as the amount of time the thermostat participates in a requested setback. The thermostat also preferably notes one or more setpoints, operating mode and sensed temperature occurring at the end of an implemented setback. A setback record of temperature conditions, modes of operation and elapsed time for each setback is stored for retrieval by a remotely located entity in communication with the thermostat. This entity is usually an energy provider. This record is available for retrieval at any time, including a time when the thermostat is presently implementing a setback.
The thermostat also preferably allows the requester to either clear the record or simply read the record without clearing. In either case, the thermostat preferably continues to track any time and temperature conditions in any currently implemented setback.